


Bad By Blood | Kim Taehyung [ON HIATUS]

by Slightly_Obsessive



Category: K-pop, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Angst, Drama, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gun Violence, Mild Gore, Minor Violence, Private School, Spy - Freeform, mafia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-15
Updated: 2018-07-28
Packaged: 2018-08-15 05:13:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8043850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Slightly_Obsessive/pseuds/Slightly_Obsessive
Summary: (Formerly 'Fight Me!')Yeojin thought she had it all; a loving family, great friends, and a bright future. But as soon as Kim Taehyung set foot in her school, she knew that he was trouble. And when she discovers the true nature of her whole world, her suspicions of him only multipy.With her loyalties now standing on the edge of a knife, she must choose between the world was was born into and what she believes in. But with lives at stake and Kim Taehyung standing in her way, the choice isn't going to be easy.





	1. One

“And if we were to position the satellite here,” I say, pointing to the board, “it won’t be in the orbit of any of these other satellites. It will also allow for the signal to reach a far larger distance. Are there any questions?”

              “You got it wrong.”

              I can’t speak for anyone else, but I find in quite rude when someone who is new to the school, sits at the back of the classroom, doodling in his notebook when he should be listening to your presentation, and then he has the nerve to, without raising his hand, point out an error that isn’t even there.

              “Excuse me?” I raise an eyebrow, shooting a glare towards the boy who spoke. He still has his head down, pen to paper.

              A low hum ripples through the students, and they all turn to stare at the him. When he finally has the decency to raise his head, he cocks it to one side and gives me a look of boredom, and somewhat pity. I jut forward my chin, all ears for an elaboration.

              “You calculated to circumference of the satellite’s orbit incorrectly, which throws off the placement of it. There is no guarantee that it won’t collide with another satellite.”

              I cock my head to mirror his. “Erm, I think you’ll find that my calculations are fine.”

              “How many decimal places did you use pi to?”

              “Two, as we were told to.”

              “Well,” he looks back down at his page. “I would have thought you, of _all_ people, would want to be more accurate.”

              “That’s very presumptuous of you. I was simply following the instructions we were given. Of course, you weren’t there for that session, so you wouldn’t have known that.” I take a shot, hoping it’ll sting. I can’t tell whether it did, but he doesn’t say anything else. “If there aren’t anymore questions, I’d like to conclude this presentation.”

              Closing the presentation window and logging off the computer, I return to my seat. Miss Kang rounds up the lesson and dismisses us a few minutes before the bell rings.

              “Why do you always have to embarrass me in front of the class?” Baekhyun wanders over to my desk.

              “Not my fault you got it wrong.”

              “Oh, do you remember that time when the new guy called you out on your maths?”

              I smack him with the Physics textbook. “Who is that little bitch anyway?”

              “I don’t know. But he’s way too much like you for my liking.”

              “Who’s too much like her?” my closest girlfriend, Dahyun, asks.

              “The guy who just humiliated Yeojin here.”

              “I am not humiliated.” I heave my bag onto my shoulder and make for the door.

              “The new guy; he’s cute. And yeah, he seems a lot like you, only less uptight.”

              “I am not uptight!” I clip, before realizing how I must sound. “Let’s get to the cafeteria before all the good food is gone.”

              The three of us walk down the corridor walled with lockers, stopping to put our books away. Theirs are further down than mine; I push through the raging sea of students whilst they’re carried away by the current. Fumbling with the lock as students knock my shoulders left and right, I get the locker open and throw in my Physics notes and textbook.

              “I get it, you don’t like being told that you’re wrong,” comes a voice, as I slam the door. “But there’s no need to take out your anger on the locker.”

              I look up to see the boy who has been at this school for less than a week, and is already on my list of people to avoid. He is tall, lean, with an undoubtedly handsome face. He grins at me, though not smugly, as one might have expected.

              “Can I help you?”

              “There was nothing wrong with your maths.”

              “I know.” I try not to snap at him.

              “I mean, you could have been more accurate, but this is a school project, not a project funded by NASA.”

              Craning my head over the remaining student, much to my displeasure I can’t spot either Baekhyun or Dahyun.

              “Do you want to get some lunch?” His awkwardness surprises me.

              “Yeah, with my friends.”

              “Oh…”

              “Oh, come on! You tried to humiliate me in front of the class, just to take the piss. So, is there something you wanted to ask me? Do you have something else that you want to say?”

              His eyes widen, and he seems a little taken aback. Heaving a deep sigh, he smiles down at me. “Clearly, we got off on the wrong foot.” He holds out a hand, and I hesitantly shake it. “I’m Kim Taehyung. I’m from Daegu, but I live in Seoul.”

              “Kim Yeojin.” I don’t smile back, though it does seem preferable to try and make nice with him.

              “We have Chemistry together this afternoon, I think.”

              Unable to think of a reason to explain how he would know this, I nod once, and look back down the corridor, only to spot my two best friend sniggering at me. “I guess, I’ll see you then.” Leaving him standing beside my locker, I stalk over to the grinning pair, my face like thunder.

              “Are you quite alright?” Dahyun smirks, nudging my shoulder.

              “There’s something not right about that guy. Let’s just go.”

              “I like him,” Baekhyun says, laughing. “It takes guts to talk to _you_ like that.”

              I don’t say anything as we walk the rest of the way to the cafeteria. He probably has no idea who I am, who my family are. It won’t take me long to forget our little talk ever happened.


	2. Two

Unfortunately, none of my friends are in my Chemistry class. I sit on the front row, next to a boy who, after three weeks, still hasn’t spoken a word to me. Having that kind of effect on people was fun for the first year of high school, but now it’s just impractical.

              It used to hurt when people dropped their eyes when I walked down the school corridors. And being at one of the most prestigious private schools in the country, everyone is quite rich, and their parents are influential in some way. It’s just that Baekhyun’s family is the head of the largest technological company in South Korea, and my family happens to be their closest business partner. But, I will admit, I take a more than appropriate amount of pleasure in this sort of power.

              Taehyung doesn’t appear until ten minutes after the lesson has started. He walks in with an unmistakable swagger, claiming to have gotten lost. The teacher excuses him, and tells him to find a seat.

              Striding over to my desk, he towers of the boy sitting next to me, eyebrows raised, looking on him expectantly.

              “Just sit down; you’re disrupting the lesson,” I whisper.

              “I’m sitting here.”

              “This seat isn’t free.” But my lab partner has already collected his things and slipped away to an empty seat the back of them class. “That really wasn’t necessary,” I snap quietly. He doesn’t even look at me, let alone offer any sort of verbal reply. Breathing in deeply, I turn my attention back to the lesson.

              About hour an hour later, the teacher slams a pile of worksheet onto my desk. “Please pass these around. Any question that you don’t complete now are to be done fore your homework. If you don’t understand something, discuss it with the person sitting next to you before you ask me.”

              Chatter fills the classroom, and I take this opportunity to throw a verbal swing at Taehyung. “You know, you had no right to make him move. Who the hell do you think you are?”

              “He could have said no; clearly he didn’t like his seat all that much.”

              “I don’t know who you are, or what kind of money your family has, but that does not give you the right to intimidate people into doing as you please.”

              “A bit rich coming from you, isn’t it?”

              “I don’t know what you mean.”

              “Oh yeah, like you don’t try to prove your smarter than other people by asking them ridiculous questions during their presentation.”

              “I’m trying to be constructive. And says you!”

              “It’s just a seat, Yeojin. God, I dread to think how much of a fuss you’ll kick up when something bad actually happens.”

              I want to snap at him that if it was just a seat, why did he want it so badly, but I spot the teacher eyeing us and immediately drop the subject. “Are you having any trouble with the questions?”

              “No.”

              “Then don’t talk to me.”

-

I sit alone in the cafeteria. Neither Dahyun nor Baekhyun have come out of their lessons yet. I slip off my shoes and press my cold toes against the radiator on the wall next to me.

              “Hey.” Taehyung pulls out the chair opposite, and drops a slice of cake in front of me.

              “What do you want?”

              “I brought you some cake.” He grins, gesturing to the cake.

              “Why?”

              “So, we can have lunch together.”

              “I never agreed to that.”

              “Well, tough.” He picks up a spare fork from his plate and hands it to me. Reluctantly, I take it, cutting a small piece of cake off and eating it. “See? This isn’t so bad. So, where are you from?”

              I frown. “Erm…I was born and raised in Seoul. But at half term, I usually stay at our house in Busan.”

              “Oh?” He seems genuinely interested in my uneventful life. “And your family?”

              “I have an older sister, and two older brothers. Wait, you don’t know my family? We provide the transportation services for Byun-Tech industries.”

              “Of course, I knew that.” There’s something odd in the way he looked at me just now, like he was expecting me to say something else, as though he was listening out for me to drop a particular detail. “I just want to know more about _you_.”

              “Like what?”

              “Like…I don’t know. Do you have any hobbies? Is there anything you like to do in your free time?”

              “I guess, I like to read, but more theoretical things than fiction. I’m afraid I’ll have to bore you by saying that I actually enjoy doing school work.” Even though I haven’t the slightest interest in what he like to do, I ask anyway, out of politeness.

              “Athletic stuff, like running and that. I like music as well.”

              “Well, we have a track team here that you could join. Or cross country if you prefer.”

              “Do you have any similar interests to your family?”

              “Not really, I guess I’m not really that close with any of my family, at least not anymore. Except Kai,” I smile. Kai has always been there for me. He is the one who comes with me to drop me off and pick me up from school. We’ve always been the closest of all my siblings.

              “Kai?”

              “Yeah, that’s a nickname we have for him. I couldn’t say his name was I was a baby, and so he used to call himself ‘the other guy’ in front of me, because I could say ‘Dad’ and ‘Yugyeom.’ And ‘guy’ just came out Kai, so that’s what I’ve called him ever since.” Taehyung stares at me with the most amazing smile that I can’t help but frown. “What’s so funny?”

              “Nothing. It’s just that you’re so pure.”

              “What?! What’s that supposed to mean?”

              “It’s good. I’m glad.”


	3. Three

I am surprised when, in my next Physics lesson, Taehyung does not demand for the girl who sits at the desk next to me to move. And better still, he remains silent until the teacher reads out a message brought by a younger student.

              “Byun Baekhyun, Kim Yeojin, can you go down to the foyer? Someone is here to meet you.” I’m confused at the request but oblige nevertheless, packing up my things and walking out of the classroom.

              “Do you know what this is about?” His silence was too good to last. I turn to Taehyung, shaking my head briefly, and leave the classroom close behind Baekhyun.

              There is a kind of eerie quiet in the hallways as we make our way down the staircases, along corridors, and into the foyer, neither of us speaking a word. The women who usually sit behind the admin desk are gone. I have never seen the place so empty.

              “Do you actually not know what this is about? Or were you just saying that for the new guy?” Baekhyun asks, as we take seats in the waiting area opposite the reception desk.

              “I can’t think of who would want to see us both,” I shrug. “Unless it’s something to do with our families’ business.” A low rumble sounds through the ceiling above us. Looking up, I see the chandelier crystals shake, softly hitting each other. “What the hell is that?”

              “I don’t know, but it’s not good.”

              Rushing to the reception desk, I climb over and scan the computer screens. The one on the far right is supposed to be used for security. I tap at the keyboard, changing between the security cameras that are dotted inside the school and around the grounds. Every picture is snowy.

              “Someone has tampered with the cameras.”

              “What?” Baekhyun climbs over to stand beside me.

              A moment later, the rumbling stops and the screens flicker back to life. In each of the classroom, teachers and students look around, confused as to the source of the noise. I click through the difference cameras, stopping at an almost blank screen. Only when some sort of fog begins to clear, do I see that it’s another classroom.

              Students are on the floor, under desks, and huddled at the back of the room, most coughing and spluttering. The teacher rushes around, making sure that everyone is okay. The windows are wide open, the fog billowing outside until soon the room is clear.

              “Hang on, that’s room 106. That’s the classroom we were in.”

              “What on earth do you think happened?”

              “I don’t know. But Dahyun was in there too, and Jimin, and your boy Kim Taehyung.”

              “Do you think they’ll be okay?” The teacher seems to be hurrying the students out of the classroom. “And he’s not ‘my boy’,” I snap.

              “They’ll be going to the infirmary.” We skip back over the desk and rush to the stairs. When we reach the infirmary, students are queuing out of the door. “Can you see her?”

              “Dahyun?” I call.

              “She’s seeing one of the doctors, but she seems fine.” Taehyung appears behind us.

              “What happened?” I ask him.

              “I don’t know. Someone managed to scale the wall and open the window from the outside. They dropped some kind of smoke bombs into the room, but they were all dressed in black, so we couldn’t have seen their faces anyway. I don’t think they took anything.”

              “They came for you.” I turn to Baekhyun. “That’s why they called you out of the room.” There are many people in this world who would likely want to sabotage Baekhyun’s family business, and what better way to do so than to strike at their weakest point.

              “Why were you brought along?”

              “I don’t know, maybe because my family is connected to yours. I’m the next best thing.”

              “It might have just been a joke, some prank to scare the students. God knows this school is boring,” Taehyung smirks a little.

              “But you were the one who gave such detail of the event.” Baekhyun doesn’t seem convinced, and I can’t disagree with him.

              “Yeojin, can I speak with you alone?”

              I sigh deeply. “Alright. Baekhyun, could you wait out here for Dahyun? I’ll be back.”

              The corridors are now bustling with panicking students, pushing passed each other to get outside. Someone sets of the fire alarm, and soon we’re fighting against a raging current of bodies. Taehyung takes me by the arm and pulls me into a now empty classroom.

              “What’s this all about?” I say over the sound of the fire alarm, lifting myself to sit on the teacher’s desk.

              “I think you’re right. I think those people were here to take Baekhyun.”

              “And you weren’t able to agree with me in front of him because…?”

              “Because I don’t trust him, and your family’s association with his puts you in danger.”

              “Are you asking me to disown my family?”

              “I’m saying that you should stay away from him.”

              “That’s impossible. We’ve been friends since we were kids; I can’t just drop him now. He’s my best friend, and there’s nothing you can do to change that.”

              Taehyung sighs and flicks the bangs from his forehead. When he does find the words to say, they’re clipped, insincere. “I suppose not. I suppose he can’t do anything to hurt you.”

              “I can take care of myself, Taehyung. There is no need to treat me like I’m some kind of helpless child.” I slide of the desk, strutting past him without so much as a glance.

              “I hope your friends are okay,” he calls before I am through the door.

              I can only hope that his concern is genuine, because I just know that this wasn’t just a prank, nor was it an accident. Had Baekhyun or I been in that classroom, someone could have gotten seriously hurt. But someone wanted us to be out of that room; they knew exactly when it was going to happen. What confuses me is that the only people who could have possibly known about it were the people in black themselves. So why would they ‘save’ us?


	4. Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After such reckless abandonment, and thanks to an encouraging comment, I finally go round to editing this chapter. Have fun with this one!

“I actually cannot believe this,” I huff, collapsing into one of the chairs in the common room, scanning the email my parents sent to me this morning.

              “Oh God, did you parents buy you another car?” Dahyun teases.

              I gave her a look. “No. My parents want to take me out of school for a couple of weeks until someone finds out about this ‘attack’.”

              “Good gracious, Princess! Being taken out of this hole and going back to your, what is it? Second mansion? Second mansion, in Busan. That must be _so_ hard for you!” I stretch out my leg and kick Jimin.

              “You’re leaving?” Taehyung walks over and sits down with us.

              It has been almost a week since the incident. Baekhyun was taken out of school the day after it happened. And now it seems that the paranoia of my family has driven them to also remove me from school.

              “I’m sure it’s just a prank,” Chaeyoung sighs. “I think your parents are taking this way too seriously.”

              “Have you met my family? And anyway, this seems a little too coincidental to be a prank. I’m pretty sure Baekhyun and I were deliberately removed from the room so that we wouldn’t get caught up in it.”

              “Quite the conspiracy theorist, aren’t we?” I am not amused by Taehyung’s stupid grin. “I don’t think you need to go home. You’re safe here.”

              “I’m getting picked up tomorrow morning, whether I like it or not.” I stand to leave. “I’m going to pack. I’ll see you guys later.”

-

I roll my suitcase out of the lift and into the foyer at dawn the next morning. Dahyun grumbled something about not leaving her alone with Chaeyoung and the boys as I snuck out of our dorm as quietly as I could. I wave goodbye to the night guard when he unlocks the main entrance for me, shaking my head at his half-asleep state lolloping in his chair behind the reception desk.

              My family chauffeur stands outside the car as I make my way down the turning circle beyond the front gardens. He only moves to help me carry my suitcase down the steps and opens the car door for me, otherwise remaining stiff, not saying a word. He’s afraid, but of what I am unsure. I would usually try and strike up a conversation with him to pass the time, though today it is clear that I am not meant to.

              I want to sleep on the journey home, but my mind won’t let me. I can’t think of what took my parents so long to pull me out of school? If they were going to do so, why not take me out at the same time Baekhyun was? Come to think of it, I haven’t heard from Baekhyun since he left.

              My eldest brother, Kai, is already at the door when the car pulls up the driveway. “Yeojin,” he runs forwards to open the door for me. “Thank goodness you’re safe.”

              “I’m fine, Kai. What are you talking about?”

              “Come on, let’s go inside.”

              If I wasn’t so small in comparison, I would try to resist his tugging. It seems my parents weren’t the only ones wanting to pull me out of school. The chauffeur takes my bags inside, and I am bundled into the lounge.

              “Alright, what the hell is going on?”

              “Please, just sit down. We’ll be with you in a moment.”

              I’m afraid now. There are whispers in the corridor outside, incomprehensible hisses tease my ears. I slide my coat off of my shoulders, not daring to get up and call for the butler to take it away.

              My mother enters, carrying a mug of some steaming liquid, which she gives to me. “Are you alright, sweetheart?”

              “Yes, Mother. Could you please tell me what’s going on? That incident happened a week ago. I don’t see what good it’ll do to take me out of school now.” My mother smiles, but there is something in her eyes, like she’s hiding something. “What aren’t you telling me?”

              “I don’t know what you mean, darling.”

              “I’m not a child!” I try not to snap, fearing my mother’s wrath.

              “Oh, let’s just tell her and get it over with.”

              “Kai!” Mother scolds. “Will you ever learn to keep your mouth shut?” He shrugs innocently and I can’t help but smile. “This isn’t a laughing matter, Yeojin. This is serious.”

              “I think I’m old enough to handle it. If it’s a secret then I promise to keep it.”

              “Come on, Mother dearest. I was younger than she was when you told me.”

              “What? That’s not fair.”

              “But Kai is a man; he knows how to deal with these things.”

              I stand, the hot liquid splashing over my hands. “I can’t believe this! First Taehyung, and now you. I’m so insulted that you don’t think I can help myself. What could be so bad that I would lose my mind over it?” My voice gets higher with every word. I don’t want to cry in front of my brother so I make for the door.

              I slam the mug down on one of the work tops as I stalk through the kitchen. But by the time I am halfway up the stairs, I already feel stupid. Why am I getting upset about something I don’t even know yet? Sure, it hurts that my mother thinks that, just because I’m a girl, I can’t handle whatever this big secret is. What does that have to do with anything?

              I’m already in my room before I can even think about going back downstairs. I don’t think have it in me to face my family after my outburst, so instead I call Baekhyun.

              “Yeojin, hey. I hear you got taken out of school too.”

              “Yeah. Listen, my family-”

              “Let me guess, they told you a huge secret that they have been keeping from you for a long time, and it’s just so big that you can’t keep it a secret, especially from me?”

              “How could you possibly have known that?”

              “Because the day I came home, my family did the exact same thing to me.”

              “And how come you didn’t call?”

              “Because I was told you didn’t know anything and, even though I wanted to, I wasn’t allowed to say anything.”

              “Well isn’t this just fantastic. My mother doesn’t want me to know, but now you know. She doesn’t have an excuse for keeping quiet now.” There is a knock on my bedroom door. “Come in.”

              Kai walks into the room. “Hey, Jinnie. Are you okay?”

              “Baekhyun knows.” Kai’s eyes brighten a little. “Sorry, Baekhyun, Kai is here. I’ll call you back in a bit. Something tells me I’ll know by then.” I hang up, throw my phone onto my bed and perch on the end of it.

              “Mum’s doesn’t know what she talking about. She just hasn’t seen how badass you are.”

              “No, she right. I can’t really do anything except remind people of my family’s power.”

              “But you’re not weak; just because you’re a girl, doesn’t mean that you can’t keep a secret. Things have changed from when she married Dad and she was the one finding out for the first time.”

              “So are you going to tell me or not.” My impatience is brimming. Call me spoilt, but I have always had whatever I could have wanted. I’m not used that being told no.

              Kai pulls out my desk chair and sits in front of me. “Alright.”

              “Yeojin-ah?” My father knocks on the door, opening it a crack. “Can I come in?” I raise my hand to beckon him inside, but don’t say a word. “Is everything okay?”

              “Our family has a secret, and Mother won’t tell me because I’m a girl. But Kai was about to tell me, and if he doesn’t, Baekhyun knows and he’ll tell me.”

              My father sighs, glancing at Kai, a frustrated expression on his face. “We wanted to tell you before, when you were about fourteen. At least, _I_ did. But your mother didn’t want to because of how upset she was when she found out, and your sister didn’t handle it so well either. But after what happened at your school, I don’t think your mother can make any more excuses for keeping it from you. Come downstairs, and we’ll talk about it properly.”

              When we get back down to the living room, my eldest sibling, Taeyeon, and youngest older brother, Yugyeom, are already sitting on the sofas. My mother is absent from the room, likely not wanting to see my reaction. Kai sits next to me and my father in the chair opposite.

              “Yeojin, as you already know, this is a huge secret, and we’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell any of your friends.”

              “Except Baekhyun.”

              “Except Baekhyun, although you can’t talk about it in public with him.” I nod. “It’s to do with the family business. You know that we’re in the transportation industry, moving Byun-Tech’s products all over the world. Well, they don’t just make computers and phones and the like.”

              My phone buzzes in my pocket, but I ignore it, too intrigued by my father’s tale.

              “Byun-Tech also manufacture other things.” Father takes a deep breath and sighs. Apparently, telling this story doesn’t get easier with practice.

              Kai takes my hand from my lap and forces me to look into his eyes. “They also make weapons, and we transport those as well.”

              “Oh.” Kai speaks so bluntly that I can hardly find it in myself to really react. I wasn’t expecting that. In fact, I wasn’t really sure what I was expecting. Even when my father mentioned the family business, I couldn’t think of how huge the secret was going to be. “Who do we sell them to?”

              “Anyone who is willing to pay. It’s not our job to ask questions. We just send them out, though a lot of them do go to third world countries.”

              My heartbeat races. I can almost feel the thousands of thoughts whizzing around my head. What does this mean for me? Will I have to do it too? How does Baekhyun feel about all of this? I can’t explain what my face looks like, but my family looks nervous. Although it’s hard, in defiance of my mother, I contain all of my questions but one.

              “So…what will I be expected to contribute to the business?”

              My father smiles. “It really isn’t so much that side of things to do. The orders go out just like the normal order. Taeyeon deals with most of that.”

              “What do you mean, ‘that side of things’?”

              “Well, besides the weapon and drug smuggling-”

              “Oh, do we illegally smuggle drugs too?” I quip.

              “Besides that, yes, because these activities are not strictly legal, it is predominantly our job to ensure that the authorities can’t come after them. We control the trade of their drugs and weapons, and they pay us quite a substantial amount of money for us to protect them.”

              My phone buzzes again; this time someone is calling. I pull it out, and on the screen is an unknown number. Pressing the red button, I see that there are few texts from the same number.

              “Who’s that calling?” Kai asks.

              “I don’t know. But I’ll check the texts later.”

              “Okay, just don’t call them back unless you know who they are.”

              “Anyway,” Father sighs, wanting to keep us on track. “After we got word from our mole that the International Secret Service were going to try and take Byun Baekhyun hostage in order to gain leverage over his family, we needed to have the two of you removed from the scene before they got to the school.”

              “I knew those people were there to get him! But how could you be sure that they wouldn’t continue to search the school for him?”

              “The trustees would never let it happen. You saw the state of the classroom; it was supposed to be a simple extraction mission, and the parents of the students kicked up one hell of a fuss just because of that. Think how bad it would be if they sent in the Men in Black.”

              It takes a few moments of silence for me to take everything in. I still don’t want to show them the anxiety that is settling in my stomach. It only just dawns on me that if I slip out of line in the slightest, I could condemn myself and two families to a lifetime in prison. “So…” I trail again. “Besides the fact that we fund illegal addictions, potential acts of terrorism, and firewall the police, is there anything else I need to know about?”

              “Well, we’re also in charge of taking out anyone who threatens the company.”

              “So, I suppose we’re assassins as well,” Yugyeom pipes cheerfully, but shrinks back at something behind me.

              My mother has appeared in the doorway. She wears a scowl, her arms folded. She stares down at me, narrowing her eyes, gaging my reaction. “You have to understand, Yeojin, that this is a very serious business and requires absolute dedication. Even if you were to go on to do another job in the future, your family and its business must be your top priority.”

              Turning away from her to stare at the floor. “I understand.”

              “You’re taking this considerably well,” Taeyeon finally speaks. “It’s not an easy things to accept.”

              “I don’t really have much of a choice, do I? I think I just need to be alone for a bit.” I get to my feet and say, just to spite my mother one more time, “Thank you for being honest with me. I appreciate that.”

              As I make my way back to my bedroom, each soft beat of my feet on the stairs marks the pounding of a single word in my head. The thing that they seemed so careful not to mention, even with the bluntness of everything else, even though that’s exactly what we are.

              What I will become part of.

              Mafia.


	5. Five

There are three text messages, each from the same person who was calling me earlier.

              **_Yeojin, I think you should come back to school._**

**_Is everything okay? What have your family said?_ **

**_Seriously, Yeojin, call me!_ **

              Then there are a few missed calls. I text Dahyun to see if she knows who it is, and then I call Baekhyun.

              “You know everything now?” he asks as soon as he picks up the receiver.

              “Yeah, listen, I don’t really want to talk about this over the phone. Do you want to come over later?”

              “Sure. It’s a bit much, isn’t it?”

              “Mm.” I still can’t quite put how I’m feeling into words.

              “I’ll be over in a few hours then.”

              “Bring fried chicken.”

              “Always.”

              Dahyun has texted me saying that Taehyung had been asking around for my phone number, and that Jimin had caved and given it to him. After vowing to kill Jimin once I return to school, I lay back against my pillows and go over everything once more.

              I don’t realize that I’d fallen asleep until my father knocks on my door.

              “We’ll be back tomorrow morning at the earliest. Make sure you eat; there is pudding in the fridge.” He gives me a quick hug and ruffles my hair.

              “Baekhyun is coming over in a bit, and he’s bringing food. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”

              My family is going up to Daegu for work at the Byun-Tech branch in the city. At this point, with my limited knowledge of the specifics of the family business, I don’t want to think about what they might be doing. Instead, I go down to the living room and open Netflix on the television. I haven’t even chosen anything to watch when Baekhyun walks into the room, just as if he lives here.

              “What are we watching?”

              “I don’t know. What do you want to watch?”

              “We could watch ‘The Godfather’ or ‘Scarface.’”

              “That’s not even remotely funny.”

              “Fine, we’ll watch the crap that you like.”

              We settle on Nolan’s Batman Trilogy, munching away on our fried chicken. It takes us a whole half an hour to bring up what we’ve both been thinking about all day.

              “Your family gone to Daegu as well?” Baekhyun mumbles, as if afraid to ask.

              “Yeah. Did you get anything out of yours?”

              “No. All I got was the business excuses and I didn’t really want to push them too much.”

              “So, did your family tell you not to tell me anything? Or did you not know I was involved until I was brought home?”

              “I was told not to talk to anyone, but I didn’t know that you were involved. When I found out that you were being taken out of school too, my dad told me about your family’s involvement. I didn’t know whether or not your family would tell you.”

              Then it hits me. I suddenly feel stupid for not thinking of this before. I get out my phone and look back at the texts from Taehyung. How could he possibly have known that my family where going to drop a bomb on me, and at the exact time that I arrived home.

              “Look at these?”

              “How did Taehyung get your number?”

              “Jimin, but that’s not what I mean. I received these texts just before my dad said he would tell me the big family secret. How could he have known?”

              “That’s a little scary. Do you think he has bugs in your house?”

              “I don’t think so. My family doesn’t seem that careless. If they were, they would have been caught by now.”

              Baekhyun shakes his head, smiling. “I never did trust him. From day one, he was way too interested in you.”

              “Hey!” I smack his arm. “You don’t think a guy could be interested in me?”

              “Perhaps, or perhaps I didn’t want him to go near my little Yeojinnie, but now I think he’s actually more interested in your family.”

              “He might just be concerned for me.”

              “Well, I don’t trust him.”

              This makes me laugh. “That’s what he said about you!”

              “Okay, you’re not allowed to talk to him anymore.” I laugh again. “Yeojinnie, I’m serious! That guy is trouble.”

              “I know,” I nod, more solemn now. “I know.”

-

My parents are reluctant let my go back to school, though they assure me that ‘the mess has been cleared up.’ I didn’t want to ask about the specifics, but something tells me that one or two lives have paid the price for that attempted kidnapping.

              The pile of photocopied notes on my desk in the dorm makes me want to cry. I love Dahyun for doing this for me, but there is so much to read through. And against my better judgement, I decide to leave them on the desk for now.

              “Don’t you have work to catch up on?” Chaeyoung asks when I throw myself onto one of the common room sofas.

              “Yes.” She takes my bluntness in silence.

              Baekhyun is nowhere to be seen, likely doing what I should be doing and catching up on the work he’s missed. Dahyun is on the other side of the common room, engrossed in a conversation with a group of boys from the year above. I’m not sure I can handle much more of Chaeyoung all by myself, so it seems I’ve been forced to do the one thing I promised Baekhyun I wouldn’t do.

              “Jimin?” I call over to the group of chairs next to us. He and a couple of his friends are playing some sort of card game.

              “Ah, back are we? Did you have a nice holiday?”

              I offer him my most sarcastic of smiles. “Where is our dear little friend, Taehyung?”

              “What? You aren’t even going to come over and give me so much as a kiss on the cheek before you ask me favour?”

              “No.”

              “He’s probably up in the dorms, or maybe the library. He’s been a bit off lately, probably missing you.”

              “Okay, thanks.” I get up to leave, ignoring Jimin’s protests about going into his room. It is technically against school regulation for a girl to go into the boys dorms, but I’ll only have to suffer the consequences if I get caught. And now, courtesy of my darling sister, I know which corridors have faulty CCTV cameras.

              I knock softly on what I hope is the correct door. I hear a shuffling inside, and click of the lock, and the door opens. Taehyung looks tired, like he hasn’t slept in days. He looks sad as well.

              “Hello, I’m...er…back.” I try my best to lighted up the glum atmosphere.

              He smiles ever so slightly. “Yeah, I see.”

              “Can I come in?”

              “Sure.”

              The dorm room itself is cleaner than I thought it would be, and doesn’t bear that pungent smell that one might expect from a boy’s dorm room. Not to stereotype or anything.

              Taehyung walks back over to his bed. It seem that this is the first time he has moved in a while, judging by the little nest of papers he’s made for himself. He doesn’t really acknowledge me as he sits back down, so I pull out his desk chair and perch on it stiffly.

              “Is everything okay?”

              “Not really.” He doesn’t look up from the papers he’s trying to staple. They’re unaligned and his hands are shaking.

              I reach out to take them. “Here, let me.” I fully expect him to huff and grumble that he can do it himself, but he doesn’t. I neatly staple them together and hand them back, only to have more piles thrust into my hands.

              “So, apparently you have my number now.” He sniggers. “Did you really miss me that much?”

              “You didn’t reply.” I smile at his whining.

              “Well, I had no idea who it was, and even after I found out, I thought you might have been drunk or something.” I try to make a joke out of it but he isn’t laughing. A long silence follows as I finish stapling his papers and he begins to file his school work away.

              “I’m sorry I’m no fun today; my uncle and two of my cousins died while you were away.” His voice carries so little emotion that I almost want to cry for him.

              “I’m so sorry.” That’s what you’re supposed to say, isn’t it? I’ve never lost anyone before, so it’s hard to know what to do. He gets up and walks over to his shelves to put his folders away. “Did they suffer?” I ask to fill the horrible silence. Have I crossed a line?

              “No. They were murdered.”

              “What makes you think that?”

              “When I went to the morgue, I saw the bullet holes in their heads.”

              “I’m sorry,” I say again, wishing that my extensive field of vocabulary would give me something, anything else to say.

              “I don’t even know why I’m telling you this. I haven’t told anyone else. And you’re hardly the comforting type.”

              I frown, ready to protest. But instead, I stand from the chair and go over to him, his back still turned. I reach for him, though hesitantly. He’s a fair bit taller than I am, but hopefully not so tall as to make this awkward. I wrap my arms around his waist, pulling him into a tight back hug and pressing my cheek up to the soft cotton of his t-shirt.

              “I’m sorry.” I say it again.

              After a few seconds, I feel him breathe out heavily. He touched my hands where they clasp each other around his waist. I let go quite quickly, feeling a little embarrassed. Backing away a few paces, I drop my head to hide the warmth in my cheeks.

              “Thanks, Yeojin.”

              “No problem,” I mumble, coughing a little.

              “I’ll be back a minute.” Taehyung heads towards the bathroom.

              “It’s okay. I can go. I just came to let you know I was back…and as an excuse to not work.”

              “No. Stay a bit longer, won’t you?”

              “Erm sure, why not?” I collapse back into the desk chair as he disappears into the bathroom, and it rolls back onto the bed next to Taehyung’s. Crossing my legs, I spot something under his bed.

              I glance over my shoulder to ensure that Taehyung is still out of the room, and get on my knees to gasp the edge of the things that I say. It’s a colour photograph, slightly distorted but clear enough for me to see what it depicts.

              It appears to have been taken from behind a bush, as the blurred shapes in the foreground resemble bare branches. The main focus, however, is what makes my heart stop. There is a little girl of around ten, standing between a older boy and girl, both are teenagers. It was taken about seven years ago. I know this because of the hand-written date in the corner.

              And because the girl in the middle is me.

              “What are you doing?” The voice behind me is stern, unfamiliar.

              “I…I just…” I have no words for him. My shock bubbles into anger, and I don’t know whether to run away or stand my ground.

              “Those are my private things.”

              “Oh?” I say, matter-of-factly. “I’m sorry, am I invading _your_ privacy?”

              “I think you should leave.”

              I ignore him, leaning back down under the bed and clawing around for other pictures. “Have you got anything else under here?” But before I can really grip any of the pages I feel, I’m pulled by the hips and carried over to the door. I scrunch up the first photo before he can take it from me as he opens the door and throws me out into the dark hallway.


	6. Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Indeed, I have changed the title, but the old one has been bugging me for a while and I just needed a fresh start (seeing as I have been editing everything else. Hope you enjoy this chapter! The next one is going to be good!

I’m already storming down the hallway as Taehyung slams the door behind me. Baekhyun was right. And I was stupid to think that he might just want to be friends with me. I stop at a junction and uncrumple the page in my fist. My initial rage seems to burn out, and is replaced by a strangely paranoid fear. I look back over my shoulder and began walk again, faster this time, until I reach the girls’ dorms. I lock the door to my room behind me.

              Only then am I able to pull all of the pieces together. There is no doubt that Taehyung knew that my family had a secret, as he asked what my family had said once I had gotten home and he – and anyone he could be working for – has God knows how many pictures of me and/or my family hidden in his room. If he knows what the secret is, the pictures are understandable, but no less scary.

              I honestly wanted to like Taehyung, but this even explains all the probing that he did few weeks ago. I can’t get careless, and from now on my family, and perhaps Baekhyun, are the only people I can trust.

              Hoping that neither of my roommates enter, I call Kai. He picks up straight away, and something tells me he’s been sitting with his phone out, waiting for something to go horribly wrong.

              “What’s up?” He tries to sound casual.

              “You couldn’t get some information on a person named Kim Taehyung, could you?”

              “Who’s that?”

              “He’s a new kid at my school. He’s got pictures of us under his bed.”

              “What?!” he yelps, as a dog might if you stood on its tail.

              “I…I don’t know. I just found them and I-”

              “Wait, what were you doing in his room?”

              “Does it matter? What should I do?”

              “Hang on, I’ll get Dad.”

              I bite the thumbnail of my free hand and sit down in my bed. Suddenly this feels far more serious than I thought.

              “Yeojin-ah, are you there?”

              “Yeah, Dad.”

              “You need to stay as far away from this boy as possible. Don’t talk to him, leave the room when he come in-”

              “I sit next to him in Chemistry, and he’s in my Physics class.”

              “Don’t acknowledge his existence.”

              For the first time in my life, my father’s voice frightens me. I have never heard it so stern, so assertive. “Yes, Father,” is all I can muster in reply.

              “If he tries to speak to you, you don’t say anything. At the very most, you lie.”

              “Yes, Father.”

              “We will get back to you as soon as we can. Take care of yourself.”

              “I will.”

              His voice softens. “I love you, Yeojin. Stay safe.”

              I nod, though he can’t see me, and hang up. I’ve never been one to cry at the drop of a hat, but as I can feel my heart shaking in my chest, I have to swallow a lump in my throat. I’ve always been untouchable. Now even my family are concerned. And I am afraid.

-

I have Chemistry first thing the next morning, but I stay behind at the bottom of the stairs that leads up to the dorms.

              “Hey, you know you’re going to be late for class? Don’t want to break that perfect record now, do you?”

              “Shut up a second.” I pulled at Baekhyun’s shirt sleeve, taking him a little behind the staircase where we won’t be noticed. Then I tell him everything, about the photos and Taehyung’s murdered relatives, and finally what my brother said on the phone.

              “I told you!” Baekhyun throws out his arms and sighs.

              “I know, I know. I’m sorry.” I’m unable to look into his eyes for a few moments; I hate the defiant glint in the eyes of someone who knows that they were right all along. “I guess, I just didn’t want him to be…”

              “That’s because he had you under his spell,” Baekhyun smirked. “Girls lose their minds for guys like him.”

              “I’m not losing my mind!”

              “I wouldn’t blame you if you were, knowing someone was following you everywhere you go.”

              “Thanks Baekhyun, that makes me feel loads better,” I say, flatly.

              “Your dad’s right, you need to take care of yourself. And if you need anything, just ask. I’m sure my family will be involved in this sooner or later.”

              “I hadn’t thought of that. Well then, you had better be careful as well.” I glance over my shoulder and then at my watch. “We should get going. We’ll talk later. And check your room for bugs.”

              Thankfully, I arrive at my Chemistry class before the teacher does. I pierce my lips and breathe heavily through my nose when I see Taehyung in his usual seat with his head on the desk. Taking care not to scrape the stool on the floor, I sit down.

              “Morning.” That I was not expecting.

              I didn’t think he would even speak to me, let alone greet me in such a nonchalant manner. Unpacking my bag, I stay true to my father’s words and say nothing.

              “What’s up with you? You’re particularly stiff today.”

              He’s acting as if nothing is wrong, as if nothing happened, as if he doesn’t have pictures of me under his bed.

              “You didn’t reply to my texts. I didn’t know you were back.” I see him pout, looking at me with his cheek resting on his fist, but I continue to stare at the whiteboard. “Hello?” He waves a hand before my face and I don’t even flinch. “Did something happen whilst you were away?”

              Taehyung makes many attempts to talk to me as the lesson goes on. His pestering becomes almost unbearable but I don’t yield. I can’t. I don’t understand how he could forget throwing me out of his room last night; perhaps he was drunk, that would explain the unsteadiness of his demeaner. And it seems completely natural to want to drink if someone close to you has died.

              When the class ends, I am the first to pack up and leave the classroom. It’s clear to me now; either he was completely plastered or he wants to make me question what I’ve seen. He wants me to doubt my own eyes. If I can’t trust myself, how can I trust anyone else? How can I trust my family?


	7. Seven

I slide each reference book back into the slots on the bookshelves. Feeling a presence behind me, I stiffen and someone rests their chin on top of my head.

              “Yeojin-noona?”

              “Jungkookie?” I mimic his whiny tone.

              “Taehyung-hyung says you haven’t spoken to him since you got back. I thought you liked him.”

              I laugh, reaching up to poke his forehead, making him move. “What on earth gave you that idea?”

              “You’re always bickering.”

              “Of course, so silly of me to mistake his irritating behaviour for lack of affection.”

              “Will you come talk to him?” Normally, I wouldn’t be able to resist his big brown eyes and childish pout, but things are different now.

              “That’s not going to happen.” Over his shoulder, I can see Taehyung and Jimin sitting at a table, heads resting on closed textbooks.

              “Can’t you just tell _me_ why you won’t talk to him?”

              “No, I can’t.” And before he can protest, my phone vibrates in my blazer pocket. Taking it out and waving it in Jungkook’s face, I turn away to answer it. “Hello.”

              “We’ve talked things over.” It’s Kai. “You need to get those photos.”

              Glancing back at Jungkook, I smile at him and take a few steps away. He takes the hint and returns his table. “All of them?”

              “All of them. And anything else you can grab from his room.”

              “What did you find out?”

              “He’s clean, too clean. He doesn’t have a single bank account, not even joint, and his parents are nobodies. There are no records of any scholarships or bursaries. There’s no reason he should be in that school.”

              “Except to follow me.”

              “And possibly Baekhyun, yes. How soon can you get those photos?”

              “You actually want me to do this?”

              “Yes, of course. You’re our inside woman. You’re our eyes. Think of it as a sort of initiation ritual.”

              I nod. “Can you be here for two fifteen?”

              “What do you have in mind?”

              “I’ll sort everything out. Just meet me in front of the school’s main building around that time. And get Taeyeon to disable the camera system from two onwards.”

              “You’re already starting to sound like one of us.” The pride in his voice seems to flow into my veins, and my heart pounds.

              “I won’t let you down.”

              “I’m sure you won’t. Good luck. I’ll see you later.”

              Hanging up, I bring my hand to my forehead and sway slightly. I walk slowly over to the table where the three boys sit.

              “You look really pale, Yeojin. Are you alright?”

              I ignore Taehyung’s comment and look directly at Jimin. “I’m not feeling too well. If I don’t make it to Physics, could you please tell Miss Kang that I’m ill in the infirmary.”

              “Sure,” he smiles.

              “Is everything okay?” Jungkook frown, though he may only be asking for the benefit of Taehyung’s curiosity.

              “Yeah, my aunt just called and gave me some bad news. It’s just made me feel a little funny, but I’m sure I’ll be fine. Thank you. I’ll see you guys later.”

              On my way out of the library, I send a text in all capitals to Baekhyun, demanding he come to our home room immediately. He’s already there when I arrive.

              “What’s the matter? You don’t look well.”

              I smile, perching on my designated desk and speaking in a hushed tone. “Just pretend I’m telling you that I don’t feel well.”

              “Okay…” he frowns. “What’s actually the matter?”

              “I need you to do some things for me. I’ll explain everything later. You’ve just got to trust me.” Baekhyun nods, reaching out a hand and touching my forehead as though to check my temperature. “You need to go to Taehyung’s dorm room and make sure the door is unlocked-”

              “They usually are. Guys don’t really bother locking their doors. But I’m check anyway.”

              “Then I need you to go to Physics and text me if Taehyung leave the room at all during the lesson. I don’t know how long I will be.”

              “Alright. Do you want me to go now?”

              I glance at the clock. It’s almost twenty to two. Home room will be starting soon. “Yes, go now. But make sure you’re back before the end.” The sound of students begins in the corridor outside. “Quick give me a hug!”

              “Okay, why?” Baekhyun laughs as I slip off the desk into his arms.

              “Because I just get bad news from my aunt.”

              “Of course! There, there,” he coos, stoking my hair, and I have to hide my face in his shoulder to stop the cameras from catching my giggles. “Right, I’ll get to it.” Pulling my chair out and placing my down, Baekhyun makes a bee-line for the door as students begin to pour in.

**-**

At the end of home room, I have Baekhyun walk me to my locker, which is on the way to the Physics classroom. It’s a couple of minutes to the hour and I’m beginning to feel as ill as I am claiming to be. My mouth is dry and my heart won’t settle.

              “You can do this,” is all he says for encouragement.

              “I don’t really have much of a choice.” Baekhyun smiles and gives my shoulder a little squeeze before heading to class.

              I empty all of my books, notes and pencil cases from my bag into my locker, leaving two empty plastic wallets for the photos. The infirmary is on the same floor as the dorms, two floors above the classrooms which are on the ground and first floors. When I reach the infirmary door, I check my watch and wait for the hour to tick over before I enter.

              The school nurse is not at his desk, which is one minor complication out of the way. On the desk is a box of clear plastic gloves. Using the nails on my little fingers to pull out two gloves from the box, touch the outside as little as possible so as to leave as few fingerprints on the outside of the gloves. I’ll be putting them in the bag when I give it to Kai, but I want to keep the print transfer to a minimum.

              Hoping that the cameras have been disabled as I asked, I exit the infirmary and hurry down the corridor towards the boys dorms. I haven’t received any messages from either Kai or Baekhyun and I take that as an all clear.

              The door is unlocked as expected. The room is clean and tidy, more so than it was when I was last here. The first thing I do is go to the bed. Using my phone torch, I gather up the mess of papers from underneath it. I try not to look at the contents of the photos in fear of being overwhelmed by the sheer volume of them. Some of them are more recent; photos of me leaving school a couple of weeks ago, and the covers of books I have picked up since return to school. And they aren’t just of me; there are some of Baekhyun and his family as well. I split them between the two folders and shove them into my bag.

              Next, I move over to his desk and look through his draws and shelves, and it’s a good job I did because slipped between some notebooks and a Chemistry textbook is a thin laptop. Laughing at this stroke of luck, I put it into the bag. There is nothing else I see of significance around his desk area.

              There is buzz from my skirt pocket. The text message from Baekhyun only has one word:

              **Bathroom.**

              I’ve seen this done before. It’s easy when you’re in a boarding school that is, for the most part, one whole building. If you forget your homework, you might excuse yourself to the bathroom, run up to your room and collect it. If that’s the case, I can’t leave the room until Baekhyun gives me the ‘all-clear’. I can’t risking crossing paths with Taehyung on the way outside.

              Checking my phone, I see it’s almost ten past two. I don’t have much time; if Taehyung – or whoever took these photos – is tracking my family as well, I’ll only have so much time before he (or they) find out that Kai is here. I have the photos and his laptop. He’s likely have his camera with him so that’s not something I can deal with right now.

              I take one last look under his bed, pat my hand across his duvet to see if he has hidden anything in his bed, and check under his pillow. And there it lies.

              I’ve never seen one in real life before. It looks cold, heavy even. I swallow hard, a shiver running through my blood. I have to close my eyes and turn my head away for a moment. Was he going to use it on me? On Baekhyun? Either way, I can’t let my fear run that risk.

              I pick up the gun, holding it awkwardly with my fingers well clear of the trigger. Placing the pillow back, I straighten out the bedding, and head straight for the en suite bathroom, standing behind the door.

              There is a soft grinding of metal on metal as a key slides into the lock on the door. I check my phone but there are no messages. Holding my breath, I listen for who it is, but I already know.

              “Do they not know how to lock a door?” a deep voice grumbles from outside, slightly muffled by the door. It swings open and I peer out from my hiding place. This is my chance.

              Catching the door handle, I step out of the bathroom and around the dorm room door. With my school bag securely slung across my chest and the gun still in my hand, I bolt down the corridor. Ripping off my gloves and stuffing them into the bag’s front pocket, I no longer care how loud my footsteps are, all the matters is getting to Kai.

              I don’t hear him following me until I’m in the main stair well. Taehyung is taller than I am, his legs are longer; no matter how fast I stumble down these stairs, he’ll catch me. With one hand, I manage unlock my phone and call Kai. Putting the call on loud speaker, I hear Taehyung getting closer. He’s jumping the flights of stairs.

              “Jinnie? Jinnie, is everything okay?” Kai’s voice comes from the phone, echoing in the stairwell.

              “I’m almost there. I’m almost there,” I whisper, more to myself than Kai.

              Then something tugs on the strap of my bag. On instinct, I swing around and smack Taehyung in the temple with the base of the gun magazine. He falls back, letting go of the bag, and I don’t wait for him to get up.

              A couple more flights and I’m out in the foyer. The receptionists are nowhere in sight, which I’m glad of. I slam my body into the main doors and the sunlight blinds me for a moment as my feet find their way down more steps and onto the gravel.

              Kai is coming towards me as I circle the fountain that marks the turning ring in front of the school’s main building. I drop my phone, pull the bag strap over my head, and hold both that and the gun out to him.

              “Go!” I scream. “Take them and go.”

              I almost collide with him, my shoes skidding across the gravel. He doesn’t look at me, but at something over my shoulder. I can tell what he’s thinking as I hand him the gun. “Don’t. Just go!”

              “You’ll be okay?”

              “Of course I will. Now go!”

              Kai turns and begins to run back to where the car is parked, a little up the drive. I turn back towards the school just in time to receive the full force of a body slam from Taehyung. He almost flings me aside into the fountain, a dark flame in his eyes. Even if the chances are slim, I can’t let him catch Kai.

              Before the back of his blazar can slip from my grip, I clench my fist and my arm is practically pulled from its socket. Though I try to dig my heels into the gravel, Taehyung’s momentum drags me forwards, my feet failing beneath me. My knees scrape on the stones, but his pace slows. I hear the sound of a car driving away and that’s all I need to hear.

              Getting to my feet, I still feel the rush of adrenaline coursing through me. When I see the camera in Taehyung’s hand, my body takes advantage of his despairing and seemingly out-of-it state. I lurch forwards, grabbing hold of his wrist and dig my nails into where his blue veins show through the skin. He yelps and drops the camera, which I kick away. Pulling back his wrist, I attempt to throw him off balance and run towards the camera. With all the strength I can muster, I slam my heel into the lens. I bend down, take out the memory card, slip it between two buttons on my shirt and into my bra.

              For good measure, I stand, ready to throw the remains into the fountain, when I come face to face with Taehyung, a storm cloud hanging over his brow.

              “You have no idea what you’ve done.”


	8. HIATUS

Hey guys,

I know that I have been reuploading the edited version if this story recently, and I think that was actually a mistake on my part.

This was the second fanfiction I ever wrote, and I am aware that it really isn't the best. I have only been working on the one fanfiction for two years, so it was odd having another one to work on. I think it was because I started writing it so long ago, I have completely lost all of my motivation to write it.

I am so sorry about this. I know I shouldn't have started it without having finished all of the editing. I suppose I just had this burst of energy to rewrite it, and I guess it just ran out of it. Whenever I manage to sit down to write something, nothing comes to my mind, and I really don't want to just dump some low quality stuff here, because you deserve better than that. I know what I have been getting more attantion of the edited version so this must be such a nightmare for you guys.

I can, however, promise that I will be finishing it at some point because I can't stand it not being finished. But I have got other projects that I am working on that I have a real passion for at the moment and I'm really happy with the quality of those, so I want to focus my attention on them.

I'm sorry again for being such a terrible writer! You will have your ending, I promise!

My love, always ~ Slightly X


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